Chocolate and Cinnamon Pecan Pie

On Saturday I bumped into a few friends in the gym and an impromptu supper was formed for the following evening. We all decided to bring a dish or two and so we bid each other farewell and went our separate ways. Mad Ellie had run to the gym - 7 miles - done the pump class then cycled home again. Very Mad Ellie! 

Ellie had mad three amazing curries, onion bhajis, jasmine rice, minty yoghurt, curried potatoes and the list goes on. My friend Milla had brought her delicious lentil dahl and the best spinach saag aloo I have ever had. Lots of other people brought scrummy things and soon the table was groaning with a feast. After first, second and third helpings (guilty - the fish curry was mouthgasmic) it was time to clear away and start again on the puddings. Cue yet more delicious platefuls with about 7 or 8 different things to choose from. It really was a spectacular sight! 

I decided to make this pie as I thought it would go down well with those not accustomed to sugar or dairy free options. The base is a variation of the one I use for my Raw Chocolate Truffle tart and is a really excellent tart or pie case. I cannot tell you how amazingly delicious this is. I am always quite nervous feeding 'clean' puddings to other people as I never know what they will make of them. Some were sceptical pre-tasting but the response was truly overwhelming. Everyone who tried it said it was delicious and were intrigued as to how to make the gooey middle and the crumbly pastry-like base, One girl said it was the best pudding that night - there were a fair few wonderful creations so I was very pleased to hear that. I managed to sneak the last piece home and this morning I had it for breakfast outside in the glorious Spring sunshine. There was a cheeky little whippet who tried to get in on the action but I was not going to let anyone near my last segment of food heaven. 

You will need:

A loose bottomed tart tin

a food processor

For the base:

11/2 cups (175g) ground almonds 

1/4 cup (25g) cocoa nibs

1/4 cup (25g) broken up pecans

3 medjool dates, roughly chopped

1/4 cup (80ml) melted coconut oil

2 tsp cinnamon

For the middle:

1 cup (125g) pecans

1/4 cup (80ml) water

1 jar (170g) smooth almond butter

12 medjool dates, finely chopped

4 tbsp pure maple syrup

2 heaped tsp raw cacao powder

For the topping:

2 tbsp pure maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup (125g) pecan halves

First make the base. Measure out all the ingredients and add them to the food processor. Pulse for 30 seconds to break up the nibs and pecans. Then blend for a further minute until the mixture sticks together when pinched.

Tip the mixture out into your tin. Using your finger tips press the mixture evenly and firmly in and around the tin. Pop this into the fridge for at least 15 minutes until you are ready to assemble the pie.

Next, make the middle. Tip the pecans into the food processor and whizz until just between the flour and butter stage, then spoon n the nut butter and blend. Add your maple syrup, cacao powder and chopped dates and blend, gradually adding the water a little at a time. You want the texture to be spreadable but not sloppy. 

When you have the desired consistency, scrape into a bowl and pop this into the fridge until you are ready to put it all together. (Have a sneaky teaspoonful of this glorious gooeyness whilst you think about life).

To make the topping, pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees C. Line a small baking tray and scatter your pecans. Sprinkle the cnnamon over the top and drizzle the maple syrup. Place into the oven for 3 minutes, stir and coat them with the sauce and pop back in for a further 2 minutes - be careful not to burn your nuts!! Whn ready take out of the oven, coat again and take off the baking sheet. 

To assemble, spread the middle evenly into your tart case with a palette knife. Add the glazed pecans in any way you like. Pop back into the ridge for 1 hour or until you are ready to serve. Take it out of the fridge about 10-15 minutes before serving to your lucky guests or just for you for breakfast...lunch...and supper. 

The pudding feast!  

Having my heavenly breakfast amongst the bluebells.

A hopeful whippet trying his best 'look-how-beautiful-I-am-surely-that-deserves-a-taste-of-whatever-is-going-on-up-there' face. Try harder next time.

Blueberry Coconut Nicecream

I'm not sure if I've been living under a rock or something but only in the last few months have I come across the 'nanaicecream' revolution. Why did no one tell me about this before??? It is so delicious and so creamy it really is almost better than the real thing. There are many different flavour combinations but the base is, yes you've guessed it, banana! If you don't like banana don't worry. Once it is blended and other flavours thrown in, you really can't notice it. This recipe has blueberries and coconut so you could add a little cacao to make it chocolatey - try this, it's heavenly - or add in mango instead on the blueberries for a creamy tropical flavour. I topped mine with some pieces of 'Nut Pie' from The Chocolate Pie Company. I get mine from my local health food shop but you can also visit their site here and order online. The company is based in Cornwall and all the products are handmade. They make wonderful raw chocolate bars in all sorts of flavours using only nuts, fruit and cacao or carob. It went really well with this blueberry nicecream but you could try adding a few fresh blueberries or some nuts or having it just as it is! My blender isn't very robust so after I had made the concoction, I popped it back into the freezer to firm up  but for 30 minutes. You don't have to do this if you have a blender that is man enough for the job, mine just took rather a long time! This serves one as a pudding or a yummy breakfast.

You will need:

Blender

2 bananas, cut into coins and frozen for at least 6 hours

large handful of frozen blueberries

1 heaped teaspoon almond butter

1 shot of full fat coconut milk

Toppings of your choice

Get your banana out of the freezer about 5 or 10 minutes before you want to start. When they have softened a little, pop these into your blender and pulse for 1 minute until beginning to break up. Add your coconut milk and blend for another 2 minutes. Stop the bender and add your blueberries and almond butter. Blend again until you get the desired consistency of creamy deliciousness. You may need to stop your blender every so often so it doesn't over heat. Feel free to add more coconut milk if you would like to.  

This is the moment you my want to pop the mixture into a container and put into the freezer to firm up. If not, scoop into your favourite bowl or jar, add your toppings and dive right in! This is just wonderful. 

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Brownies

I think it is now quite obvious that I am a chocoholic. I use cacao in most things - smoothies, pancakes, baking, coyo and sometimes in stews. It is such a great taste and also extremely good for you. Bonus! These fudgy chocolate brownies are too good not to share. They are moist and gooey - exactly how I like my brownies. They are not fluffy and crumbly so if that's your thing stop right now and move on....They are made with sweet potatoes which gives the gooey texture and sweetened with dates and a little maple syrup. I added a little cinnamon but this is totally optional as are the nuts, which you could switch up with any other nuts you like. Macadamias work really well and my favourites are pecans as they give an extra caramel taste. These are great on their own or warmed up with some coyo and berries. I used a blend of buckwheat and ground almonds as the flour to bind everything. Contrary to the name, buckwheat is not a wheat and is actually related to the rhubarb family. It is a seed and sometimes called a pseudo-cereal - not a cereal but not quite a seed, so some Paleo followers call it a 'safe cheat'. I follow a Paleo diet 80% of the time so I do use buckwheat occasionally, safe in the knowledge that it is completely gluten free. However, if you are a coeliac, be cautious when using buckwheat as some have had similar reactions to this flour as with gluten. It seems to be different from person to person, so if you are not sure, use brown rice flour instead.

You will need:

Food processor

600g sweet potato (orange)

14 medjool dates - 180g

100g buckwheat flour

80g ground almonds

4 tbsp raw cacao powder

3 tbsp pure maple syrup

1-2 tbsp almond milk

1 tsp cinnamon

50g roughly chopped hazelnuts 

extra cacao for dusting, and your favourite toppings - coyo, berries, flaked almonds

Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees C for fan assisted. Line a roasting tin with baking parchment and lightly grease with a little melted coconut oil.

Peel the potatoes and cut off the ends. Chop into bite sized chunks and boil for 15-20 minutes until they are super soft. Place into a food processor with the pitted dates. Blend until smooth and creamy.

In a separate bowl add all the other ingredients and stir. Add the sweet potato and dates and stir again until fully combined. Place the mix into the prepared tin and bake for 20-30 minutes. Test with a fork and if it comes out clean, it is ready!

Leave to cool in the tin for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares and removing to a wire rack. They are yummy warm or leave to cool completely and dust with cacao powder. They should last for 4-5 days in an airtight container. Serve with banana 'nice' cream or with coyo and berries - perfect! 

Spiced Chocolate Orange Brownie Bites

Last weekend a friend asked me to make some Paleo snacks, savoury or sweet but easy to carry and full of energy. Challenge accepted! I was looking forward to a lot of tasting but (sadly) there was not a lot of taste testing as I managed to make these first time round and they are absolutely delicious (huzzah!). So scrummy and packed full of goodness, these are quick to make and will last for a week to 10 days in a sealed container in the fridge. Although I highly doubt they will survive that long, I am really struggling not to eat the whole lot in one go. This mixture makes about 30 bites, depending on how big your bite is. I have wrapped them in batches of 2 or 3 with a little baking parchment so that they are easy to grab and go. 

You will need:

1 mixer

1 small baking tray

baking parchment

For the brownie bites:

200g almonds

400g pitted dates

4 tbsp raw cacao powder

2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

grated zest of half an orange

2 tbsp melted coconut oil

2tbsp almond butter

2 tbsp linseed

1/2 heaped tsp cinnamon

Line a small baking tray with baking parchment. It helps if you scrunch it up first then smooth it out again into the base of your tray. Place the almonds into the food processor and whizz until all crushed. 

Pit the dates and add those, then all of the other ingredients and whizz again for about 30 seconds until everything is mixed.

Tip the mixture onto the tray and spread out. Press the mixture down firmly with your fingertips and pop into your freezer for 1 hour until set.

Cut into bite sized pieces, pop one in your mouth and enjoy a burst of flavours and energy.

To store them I suggest placing a piece of baking parchment between each one to make it easier to grab them. I then wrap 2 or 3 together to make a handy parcel for when I'm on the go. 

Raw Smoothie Breakfast Bowl

This week is a big week for me at school so I need a proper breakfast to set me up for the day everyday this week! Not difficult as I love breakfast. I could eat breakfast meals all day. This little gem is a nana-icecream base with my own Chocolate Nut Spread and a pot of coyo added in. If you do not have any raw chocolate spread, and don't feel like making any (although I urge you to do so as it mouthgasmic), then simply substitute for 1 table spoon of almond butter and 1-2 teaspoons of raw cacao powder. I hope you love this as much as I do. I nearly made another batch but managed to resist. Just.

For 1 portion you will need:

1 frozen banana

1 handful of blueberries plus some for the top

1 tbsp of raw chocolate spread (or 1 tbsp almond butter, 1 tsp raw cacao powder)

1 pot of natural coyo

few almonds for the top

sprinkle of cocoa nibs

pinch of shredded coconut

Peel your banana and pop into a blender along with the coyo, chocolate spread and a handful of blueberries. If you are using cacao powder make sure you add it on top of the coyo so that it doesn't get stuck at the bottom. Blend until it is smooth and creamy. Pour into a pretty bowl to make your breakfast even more enjoyable! 

Top with the remaining blueberries, almonds, coconut and cocoa nibs. Prepare for a little rave in our mouth. 

Raw Chocolate Spread

Happy World Nutella Day! I used to be addicted to Nutella and would have in/on almost everything before I cut out sugar and processed foods. I was reminded by the lovely Mrs P that it was National Nutella Day today and I suddenly had a craving to make my own. This recipe is a complete fluke but I am so happy it turned out well. It is not overly sweet so I would add more date syrup if you want a sweeter spread. Equally you may find that the consistency is too thick for you so add more nut milk if you need to. I roasted the nut for a richer taste and it worked very well. If you can, it's worth brushing off the skins of the hazelnuts after roasting them. This will give you a smoother consistency. I was eating the remains out of the mixer but I will be enjoying some on my Caveman Paleo Bread in the morning and on my pancakes on Shrove Tuesday! I hope your taste buds enjoy this little treat. 

You will need:

1 jam jar

50g almonds

100g hazelnuts

4 tsp date syrup 

1/3 cup nut milk (I used almond)

2 heaped tbsp raw cacao powder

Heat your oven to 180 degrees centigrade and pop the nuts on a baking sheet. Roast for 8-10 minutes and then leave out to cool completely. At this point you can brush off the hazelnut skins. 

Place your roasted hazelnuts and almonds into a blender and blend until smooth and liquid-y. This may take 2-3 minutes depending on how strong your blender is. 

Add the date syrup, nut milk and cacao powder and blend again for about 1 minute. You will want to scrap down the sides half way through to make sure it's all combined. Add your milk a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency. To make this a dip for fruit, add more almond milk to thin it out slightly. 

Pace into a jam jar or kilner and this will keep for a few weeks - but no double dipping of spoons! 

Chia Breakfast Pudding

My first experience of a chia pudding was not one I care to remember. It was bland, chewy and frankly I felt cheated out of a proper meal. I really did think that everyone was going mad, for this was not 'awesome' or 'insane'. It was bllurghhhh. Since then, however, I have persevered and tried various different additions which I have come to adore. This recipe was originally from Deliciously Ella with a few additions and tweaks along the way. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It really is mouthgasmic. This makes one large portion or two smaller ones. You can use honey or pure maple syrup in place of the date syrup if you prefer. 

You will need:

1 large jar

At least 6 hours!

5 tbsp chia seeds

half a banana 

1 tbsp almond butter

300 ml almond milk

1-2 tsp date syrup

2 handfuls of blueberries

1 handful raspberries

flaked almonds

cocoa nibs

The night before, place your banana, 1 handful of blueberries, almond butter, almond milk and date syrup into a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into the jar and stir in your chia seeds. I usually let it settle for an hour or 2 then give it a quick stir before going to bed. 

In the morning layer up your pudding - give it a stir first - with the blueberries and raspberries, making ure you have a few raspberries for the top. Sprinkle on your flaked almonds and cocoa nibs. Pumpkin seeds also work well or a little dessicated coconut. Et voilà! A delicious breakfast bursting full of goodness and flavours. 

Coconut and berry breakfast pot

I slept really badly last night. Woke up in the small hours thinking about what I could be doing instead of wasting time sleeping. I curled up and forced my eyes shut for about half an hour. Then I made a terrible mistake. I looked at my phone. Cue the next hour fiddling around and not really doing much apart from feeding my social media addiction. When I eventually got back to sleep, I woke up feeling groggy and not at all rested. I craved something fresh to try and wipe away the taste of my dalliance with a night-time spent flicking through my Pinterest board, and hoping someone would like a picture from my Instagram. Sad but true and in the end I really did waste time.

My little breakfast pots are quick and easy to make and I find them very restorative after a bad night's sleep. You could use normal yoghurt if you'd rather but the coconut flavour and creaminess of coyo is heavenly. I sometimes sweeten mine with a little date syrup (see earlier post) or add cocoa nibs with the pumpkin seeds. Whatever you do I promise you won't be disappointed and on the plus side this is a hit with children too!

          

Serves 1 hungry, groggy soul

You will need: 

small jam jar or bowl

handful of raspberries

handful of blueberries

1 tsp almond butter

1 tsp pumpkin seeds

1 small pot of coyo

1/4 tsp raw cacao powder

                                                       

Mix the cacao in with the coyo and stir until all combined. Make sure you incorporate all the powder as it will not be a nice surprise if you find a dry bit of cacao when you eat it. Carefully layer the yoghurt and then fruit. Top with your almond butter, seeds and one more raspberry. Not only is this very quick but it is so pretty too! You'll have a smile on your face for that reason alone. 

Raw Chocolate Truffle Almond Tart

Like many of you I have been embarking on a fresh start to 2015 and gave up gluten, alcohol and refined sugar in the hopes I would be reborn into a new 'me'. In some ways this has happened, although not in some miraculous I-now-have-a-six-pack-and-am-living-in-a-grass-hut-making-my-own-clothes way (which is a brilliant way of life and I am totally envious), but I do feel 100 times better than I did in the run up to New Year. Being a teacher, there are always children bringing in all sorts of bugs and coughs and sneezes so we are bound to get ill. However, I felt that the entire Autumn term I was barely getting over one illness before something else hit me. I was exhausted (as I have been most of my adolescent and adult life - my boyfriend was always telling me to 'get it checked out'). I had blood tests but they seemed normal and my blood pressure, although fairly low, was considered healthy. I have often suffered with a sudden plummeting of blood sugar resulting in cold sweats, shaking and dizziness, sometimes fainting. In the last 3 weeks I have only had one such 'episode' which was in the supermarket after having been to the gym and not having had time for breakfast - silly me. I have been dabbling in the gluten free world off and on for a couple of years but never really stuck to it. This year is different, I can feel it in my bones! I am really trying to avoid refined sugars and gluten as much as I can (with the exception of when others cook for me as I don't want to be THAT person just yet). I can feel my energy levels up and I am not constantly hungry, tired and bloated.

                            

My biggest inspiration has come from an old friend who has an amazing blog called 'Paleo with Mrs P'. She converted to this way of eating for a pre-wedding diet but it has transformed her health and well-being and the recipes she posts are truly wonderful - she's an incredible photographer too! I have been following her recipes for the last three weeks and this weekend I tried out my own recipe to see how it went. My friend was having a few of us over for supper and we offered to bring puddings. Enter the Raw Dark Chocolate Tart! Another guest made an amazing cake made from pistachios, carrot and hazelnuts which I must admit I had a sneaky morsel from even though it contained refined sugar....it was heavenly - watch this space for a recipe soon. Anyway...back to the tart...the original recipe is taken from 'Bareroot Girl' but I have altered some of the ingredients and method to my tastes. It is so deliciously chocolatey and delicious without a smidge of gluten, dairy or refined sugar near it. Most of the guests thought it was really tasty (it didn't go down well with one of the children!), with some not believing me when I said there was no dairy in it at all. For those used to a sweeter pud this is probably not for you but for the chocoholics it is a must. It has a smooth truffle-like texture in the middle and a nutty, crunchy base. The different flavours hit you at intervals and are quite spectacular. This is definitely a new favourite of mine and one I will be making again and again and again.....and again. 

No oven required, simple ingredients

You will need:

9inch/23cm loose bottomed tart tin

food processor

blender (if making your own date paste)

For the base:

1.5 cups almond flour

half cup raw cocoa nibs (I use naturya)

3 medjool dates, roughly chopped

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

pinch salt

For the filling:

1 cup coconut oil

1 cup full fat coconut milk (from a can)

1 cup date paste (see below)

1 cup raw cacao powder (I used The Raw Chocolate Company's)

1 tsp good quality vanilla extract

For the date paste - this yields 2 cups:

15 dates, chopped 

1 1/2 cups chilled water

Soak the dates in hot water for 10 minutes then drain and put into the blender with the chilled water for 1-2 minutes until smooth. This will produce quite a runny paste but you can add less water if you want a spreadable consistency.

To make the base put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds to roughly break up the nibs. Then blend for 1 minute until the mixture sticks together when pinched. The mixture will still be quite chunky but should be all mixed.

Tip the mixture into your tin and press it down and around to cover the base and sides. Don't worry if it doesn't quite reach the top of the sides of the tin, but make sure it is firmly pressed into the edges and sides. Pop this into the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.

To make the filling put all the ingredients in the order shown into a food processor. It s important that you do it like this because if the cacao is at the bottom it will not mix properly. 

Mix for 1-2 minutes until it is smooth and glossy.

Pour into the chilled case, smooth the top with a warm palette knife and pop back into the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

You will need to bring it out of the fridge about 10 minutes before serving so that the oils melt slightly and you can gently push the bottom through. Scatter the top with berries of your choice, I chose raspberries as I think there is no better union than chocolate and these little berries of delight. 

Cut into slices and serve immediately. This tart should be covered and kept in the fridge and will keep (if you can restrain yourself) for up to a week. 

Enjoy every flavour hit and bathe in the pleasure and knowledge that it is doing you oh so much good. 

Empty plates, happy faces!